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1930 Mount Katahdin in Bangor and Aroostook Railroad

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Recommended Citation Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, "Mount Katahdin in Maine" (1930). Books and Publications. 56. https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/books_pubs/56

This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections at Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl. It has been accepted for inclusion in Books and Publications by an authorized administrator of Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Mount Katahdin • 1 n MAINE

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L Mt. Katahdin from Kidney Pond. ew Mount Katahdin

M OUNT KATAHDIN is 5,273 feet above sea level. Mount Katahdin is one of the three hig hest mountains facts east of th e Rockies. at a Moun t Ka tahdin is reached by the Bangor and Aroos- Glance took ra il road from Norcross, Millinocket and Stacyville stations. Mount Katahdin also can be reached by the Bangor and Aroostook railroad to Greenville, thence overland to the 's West Branch and down the West Branch to Abol stream 12 miles below Ripogenus. Still a.oother route is from Ripogenus dam by road to Harrington Lakei across the lake to Kidney Pond and th ence by the Hunt to Mt. Katahdin. Mount Katahdin has attractions that provide a program for a prolonged stay by the enthusiast. The minimum trip is two days, a day in the ascent, overnight on the mountain and return th e second day. Th e Mt. Katahdin country, th e vast expanse over which Katahdin dominates, is one of the outstanding sections of the Maine woods for fishing and hunting and canoeing and for general vacation pleasures. Mount Katahdin offers opportunities for exceptional sport for the devotee of mountain climbing. Its variety of approaches and routes offers relatively easy traveling or some · sporty scrambling, depending upon .choice of the mountaineer planning to make th e ascent.

[ 3] The Chimney on Mt. Katahdin . . . one of the many famous Landmarks of Maine's ew Great Peak.

[ 4 J Crossing Mt. Katahdin's Knife Edge ... A ~ stunt that won't appeal to the Moun­ taineers for whom the Knife Edge is none too easy afoot.

[51 r The to Katahdin . , . . r THE principal trails to Katahdin now used by the tourist, or moun- ~ tain climber, whose objective is Monument Peak, the highest point in Maine, are the Millinocket trai l, Hunt trail and Abo\ trail ) Two new trails, branching from the Millinocket trail, have been opened recently for those who care for the more sporty and some­ times hazardous proposition of reaching Monument Peak by way of Pamola Peak and the Knife Edge. One of these leaves Millinocket trail near Togue Pond Camps. The other is the Dudley trail leading up over Pamola and the Knife Edg e from Chimney Pond. Th ere is also the North Basin Trail leading up over Hamlin Ridge between the North and South Basins. The old trail from Stacyville leading by Katahdin Lake can still be used and the old Wassataquoik trail which leads up the valley and onto the north end of th e mountain is being cleared of fallen trees and obstructions at the present time. Still another trail leads from Patten west to Happy Co rn er and then to Lunkasoo on the East Branch, across this rive r and Wassataquoik Stream where it hits th e old to Katahdin Lake. Also th e Gilpatrick trail which crosses the East Branch some three miles below Lunkasoo then passes along a dry ridge to Katahdin Lake; all of which it is good to be on, but th e First th ree trails are th e ones principally used at th e present tim e.

Millinocket Trail . . .

THE Millinocket tra il starts from th e interesting paper town of th e Great Northern Paper Co., M ill inocket, 81 mil es north of Ban­ gor via the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. The large paper mills and Fine hotel of the Company are of interest to the tourist, and the latter provides excellent accommodations for those planning a morn in g start for Katahdin Mountain,. now looming in the north 31 miles away. The stores here also furni sh opportunity to procure any needed supplies for the trip. This trail is well marked by guide boards and, by using ca re, passabl e for autos 22 mil es, that is, 17 miles to Tog ue Pond Camps, w here you ca n tarry for Fishing or dinner, and five miles beyond to Windy Pitch. Here cars should be

[6] parked as per sign posted until return from the mountain. This road is being continua ll y improved by Millinocket's wide awake Cham­ ber of Commerce and others interested. At Windy Pitch, if you have telephoned to the State Camp at Chimney Pond, you are met by a trusty guide, and, if you desire, w ith pack horse to accompany you to Chimney Pond, a hike of eig ht miles, where you camp for the night. In rainy weather you wi ll find nearby shelter camps, with stone fireplaces for warmth and cooking. The foot of Basin Slide is but a mi le away, or if you camp at Basin Pond it is but a little over two mi les distant. Here th e real climb begins, and although this entire trail is so well marked by painted guide boards that a stranger can go from Millinocket to Katahdin alone, the ascent should not be made without a guide on account of th e clouds that sometimes settl e on th e mountain obliterating a~\ cairns or trails to the eye of one not familiar with its peaks and tabl e lands.

The Hunt Trail ... THE Hunt Trail leads from the Kidney Pond Camps and Daisey Pond Camps over the southwest spur of the mountain to Abo\ table land where it unites with the Abo\ trail to Monument Peak. These camps are reached from Greenville (), 91 miles from Bangor (via Bangor and Aroostook railroad) where all kinds of camping supplies can be procured, and Ripogenus dam to Sourdnahunk Stream, the western border of Katahdin Park Game Preserve. Autos should be parked here just inside the limits of the Preserve. It is then a hike of about eight miles to either the camps at Kidney Pond, or to the Daisey Pond Camps, the latter being the only sportin g camps within the Park. Good accommodations can be had at 'either place and it is then about six miles to "Governor's Spring" on the Abo\ table land and one mile further to Monument Peak. There is also a camping place at the cave on this trail near the timber line, with excellent spring nearby. This trail should never be undertaken without a guide, or someone in the party who is familiar with it[ Whi\e the hike on this trail is somewhat long er/ from the autos to t'hetop, it is considered by many as equal to any on account of Moosehead Lake, Ripogenus and other wonderful scenery along the way. J

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:JQ_ "' ·() a. 3 "0 ' \ \ ~ ~ The Abo I Trail ~ . .J- THIS trail, made famous by H en ry D. Thoreau/ may be reached from Norcross by steamer up through North Twin Lake, Pama­ dumcook and Ambajejus to the West Branch, thence by canoe to Pitman's Camps directly south of the Mountain and Abol trail which can be seen from the camps. Pitma n's Camps may also be reached from Ripogenus by going down the West Branch. Good fishing waters are found here as on the other trails to be enjoyed if not in too much haste. These Camps can be reached in one day's journey from Bangor over the Bangor and Aroostook railroad to Norcross and thence by steamer and canoe as indicated. It is then about 8 miles from th e Camps to the top of Katahdin, but a sma ll camp w ith camping grounds at the timber lin e where one can stay over night gives an opportunity to finish th e climb the next morn­ ing before the sun strikes th e South side of th e mounta in . A guide or someone familiar w ith th e trail should make one o f the party.

A Ph otogra ph from Ka tahdin 's Summit, ~ showin g some of the ma ny Lakes visible on all sides. (Photo by Col. Fred erick F. Black, U. S. A.)

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On the Summit of Mt. Katahdin . ew

View of the Great South Basin. (Copyright by Wm. F. Dawson)] • From Pdmold, showing the "Sdddle" on ~.::l Kdtdhdin. c-- (Photosr•ph by-G.~Herb e rt Whitney) Along the Knife Edge, Katahdin (from Pamola to Monument Peak). Note the hiker in the middle distance. (Photogr•ph by G. Herbert Whitney)

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Two familiar Mt. Katahdin Landmarks. C himn ey Pond and Pamola Peak. ~

[ 18] At the Timber Line on the Hunt Trail up Mt. Katahdin . to 0

Mt. Katahdin's Tableland from Monument Peak. \

On the Knife Edge, Katahdin· (Photogr.ph by G . Herbert Whitney) to to

Part of the Trdil from Pdmo ld to the Summit ~.::l of Mt. Kdtahdin vid the Knife Edge. er-' (Photosr•ph by G . Herbert Whitney) . ),..-{ 1-.L:.< . A

Some Sporty Climbing via the Knife Edge ~ from Pamola to the Monument. (Photogroph by G. Herbert Whitney)

[ 23] The Knife Edge, Mt. Katahdin, wh ich pro­ vides some sporty work by Mountaineers. ~ Around the Luncheon Fire at the " Cave" on the Hunt Trail up Mt. Katahdin. On Katahdin looking back towards Pa­ mela. The "Chimney" Trail comes out be- gw tween two Humps at Left. (Photogroph by G. H erbert Whitney) Trail along the Knife Edge (from Pamola to Monument Peak.) (Photogr•ph by G. Herbert Wh itney) Wdll of Katahdin from side of Pamold . (P hotogroph by G. Herbert Whitney) Looking over the World from Mt. Kdtdhdin. THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB MAP OF MT. KATAHDIN

------Copyright 1927 byAppalacflian Mt~ . Clu.b.

Redrawn by permission from the Appalachian Mountain Club map "t:7 0. 3 0 "

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